AI Misconceptions: Technology weakens the physician–patient relationship

Michael Blackman, M.D., MBA, chief medical officer of Greenway Health, spoke with Medical Economics at the MGMA Leaders Conference 2025 in Orlando about how artificial intelligence (AI) can support — not harm — the physician–patient relationship.

He said that ambient documentation, in particular, has the potential to improve empathy and communication by freeing clinicians from note-taking during visits.

“If we fast forward a few years, ambient documentation will become the way people document, period,” Blackman said. “You can focus on the patient. You don’t worry about taking notes. You can just actually have a conversation.”

He added that AI can help capture details doctors might otherwise miss, enhancing both trust and quality of care.